The present invention generally relates to a recording device for drawing graphs, pictures and the like on a recording paper or other medium, by moving suitable drawing means relative to the recording paper with the writing tip held in contact with the paper. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such type of recording device equipped with a controller which permits easy checking of a recording range on the recording paper prior to an actual recording operation.
There have been known recording devices which are equipped with: a recording paper feeder for feeding in the vertical direction a sheet of paper supported on a paper support or platen; a carriage for supporting a writing instrument and movable in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording paper; a carriage drive unit for driving the carriage; and a drive unit for selectively locating the writing instrument at a recording position wherein the writing instrument contacts the recording paper, or at a non-recording position wherein the writing instrument is separated or spaced from the recording paper. Such a recording device performs a recording operation by bringing the writing instrument into contact with the recording paper and moving the carriage and the recording paper relative to each other. In this way, graphs, pictures and other graphical representations are drawn on the recording paper, based on recording data entered for the recording operation. However, a positional relationship between a graphical representation to be drawn and characters, or other graphical representations already drawn on the recording paper is unknown to the operator before a recording operation is actually effected. Thus, the known recording device or apparatus suffers the possibility that the actually drawn graph, picture or the like may interfere with lines of characters, or other graphical figures, or spaces between the adjacent recordings are insufficient.